5 accused in Bodh Gaya blasts convicted

5 accused in Bodh Gaya blasts convicted

Five Indian Mujahideen militants who were charged of the Bodh Gaya serial blasts case of 2013. , were convicted by aspecial National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Patna on Friday.

The court has fixed May 31 as the date for pronouncement of the quantum of sentence.Special NIA judge Manoj Kumar Sinha held all the five accused Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujib Ullah, Omair Siddiqui and Azharuddin Qureishi guilty in the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act and the Explosives Act.

On 7 July 2013, a series of ten bombs exploded in and around the Mahabodhi Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bodh Gaya. Five people, including two Buddhist monks, were injured in the blasts. Three other devices were defused by bomb-disposal squads at a number of locations in Gaya. The bombs had exploded between 05:30 and 06:00 IST (00:30–01:00 UTC), concurrently with the Sutta chanting and meditation which begin the daily routine of the mahavihara.

On 4 November 2013, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced that the Indian Mujahideen was responsible for the bombings.